This tasty dinner is simple, fast, easily customizable, and one healthy meal that will have the whole family asking for seconds! Golden, tender chicken strips and zoodles are cooked in a scrumptious sauce made from butter, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, and plenty of spices and herbs, that bring incredible spoon sipping flavors! I already love garlic butter, but this cowboy butter is something special. It’s got zesty lemon juice, tangy dijon mustard, and make-you-cry hot red pepper flakes. Whether you’re on a low-carb diet, or just looking to get something delicious on the table for your family to enjoy, everyone will love this garlic butter chicken recipe. The chicken is just lightly seasoned, so the cowboy butter can really shine here, which makes it easily customize to suit the needs of those I'm serving. My little man doesn't like spicy, so I just served his before adding the spicy sauce on top of his! It's so nice to find one meal that easily accommodates everyone's needs. You can even buy pre-spiralized zucchini and sliced chicken breast in your grocery store, to make preparing even faster, making this a great weeknight home cooked meal!
COWBOY GARLIC BUTTER CHICKEN WITH ZOODLES: Serves 5
Ingredients:
2.5lbs or 40 ounces raw skinless chicken breast (30 oz total cooked)
¼ Teaspoon Mrs. Dash garlic & herb
½ Teaspoon pepper
2 ½ Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 clove garlic
¼ Teaspoon crushed red pepper
5 Cups zucchini noodles
2 Teaspoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lemon zest (few lemon slices for garnish - optional)
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ Teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ Teaspoon paprika
¼ Cup low sodium chicken broth
1 Tablespoon hot sauce
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley
1 Tablespoons chive
2 Teaspoon fresh thyme
Directions:
Slice your chicken breasts into small, bite-size strips equal in size. Transfer the chicken pieces to a large mixing bowl or shallow plate.
In a large bowl or shallow plate, season and combine chicken strips with Mrs Dash and pepper. Set aside.
Wash and trim the ends of the zucchini. Make the zucchini noodles using a spiralizer or a julienne peeler. Set aside in a salad bowl.
Heat half of the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the chicken strips in one layer and cook for a couple of minutes without stirring.
Add minced garlic, and red chili pepper flakes then stir up the chicken strips to cook on the other side for a couple of minutes, until almost cooked through. Remove from the skillet and set aside to a plate. Make sure not to overcook chicken at this time – otherwise, it could dry up (Slower and less heat, is better).
In the same skillet, melt remaining butter, then stir in lemon juice and zest, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, cayenne, paprika, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
Stir in the fresh parsley, chopped chives, and minced thyme, then add the zucchini noodles and toss for 2 or 3 minutes, until zucchini are cooked through and the sauce has reduced a bit (zucchini will render some water). Return the cooked chicken strips back to the pan and cook for another minute.
Serve immediately, garnished with more herbs, red chili pepper flakes, and lemon slices.
Enjoy!
1L/2G/1F/3C
Ok, now it’s your turn! Make your own cowboy zoodle dish with this recipe and take a photo and tag us so we can check it out!
Did you know studies show: In moderation, butter can be a healthy part of your diet. (Yes, you guys. I think that butter, in moderation, is healthy, trouble is my definition of moderation and others is often different). Butter is rich in nutrients like bone-building calcium and contains compounds linked to lower chances of obesity, diabetes, and heart problems. But it's still important to remember that butter is high in calories and saturated fat, so should only be used in moderation. Bottom-line: Some fats are good for you and others are bad, but healthy fats actually help us properly absorb our vitamins and feel our best. All too often people just remove saturated fat from their diets (thinking they are bad) and replace it with something else (most often with sugar and carbohydrates). This mindset creates a public health disaster, while the public unknowingly enjoys one big, happy, fat-free feeding frenzy. These low-fat items are often loaded with sugar and simple carbs. Our bodies digest these refined carbohydrates and starches very quickly, causing an insulin spike, which tells the body to store fat and causes our blood sugar to drop, which makes us feel hungry. These relentless sugar highs and lows lead to overeating and weight gain, raising the risk for heart disease and diabetes, all while people are thinking they are seemlingly eating "healthfuly" fat-free.
However, keep in mind that adding more produce into the diet won’t necessarily help with weight loss or other health benefits, unless it replaces another food, such as refined carbohydrates of breading and pasta. Remember it's not about depriving yourself of delicious food, it's about being mindful of your choices, portion sizes, and coming up with healthier alternatives that are just as good if not better. The goal with these healthy recipes is to show that eating healthy doesn't have to be a struggle and can be delicious and good for you and the kiddos simultaneously. Thus, our mission is to not only guide you to improving your physical health but also create a healthy mindset.
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